There are various forms of device for applying mascara which is capable of flow, for cosmetic purposes, often referred to as mascara pencils. Typically such a device may include a handle for using the device, and an applicator which can be of various configurations but which at any event is so designed as to provide a profiled applicator surface which can embrace the eyelashes to which mascara is to be applied, during the application process, so that the eyelashes are initially separated from each other, so-to-speak combed and also coloured with the mascara around their periphery, due to the embracing effect of the applicator profile. Thus for example the applicator may be in the form of a brush having bristles disposed in a helical arrangement. Applicators have also already been put forward in the form of an applicator cushion comprising porous flexible plastic foam (DE-A-34 34 405) or a relatively firm material with a ribbed profile (U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,635).
The previous mascara pencils are found to suffer from the disadvantage that, when picking up the mascara which is generally in the form of a paste or a liquid of high viscosity, by dipping the applicator into a supply of mascara, an excessively large amount of mascara is accumulated between the bristles of the brush-type applicator, on the applicator cushion or between the ribs of the ribbed profile respectively. The result of that is that excessive mascara is applied to the eyelashes at the beginning of the mascara application operation, and the application operation is thus irregular. It is therefore possible to achieve uniform distribution of the mascara on the eyelashes only by taking a great deal of trouble and care.
In an endeavour to deal with that disadvantage, mascara pencils have also been put forward, in which the mascara is accommodated in a reservoir forming part of the device, and is fed to the interior of the applicator member of the device by way of a communicating passage (as for example in DE-A-36 15 593). By applying pressure to the mascara in the reservoir, by means of a plunger which forms part of the device and which can be moved into the reservoir, a predetermined amount of mascara can be expelled from the applicator through openings therein which open to the applicator surface thereof, so that the profiled configuration of the applicator surface is wetted with the mascara. The stroke movement of the plunger for expelling the mascara is of such a magnitude or is adjustable so that only the amount of mascara actually required for the respective situation of use passes on to the applicator surface, thus avoiding excessive application of mascara and also ensuring that the device does not become smeared with mascara, in the course of time. However such mascara pencils are very complex and therefore relatively expensive as a result of the above-discussed design configuration involving an arrangement for supplying the mascara to the applicator surface in a metered flow.
The cosmetics field also already generally includes devices for applying make-up liquid, but not mascara pencils, in which the applicator has a tip comprising a material with a capillary conveying action as is to be found in DE-A-27 05 576, U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,020 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,764. The applicators of those devices are effective only to apply the make-up liquid substantially over an area and for that purpose have an applicator surface which tapers or even terminates in a point, as in the case of eyelid ink liners. Such applicators make use of the capability of the material for conveying liquid by a capillary action in the longitudinal direction of the applicator to the applicator surface or point. Mascara pencils involve a substantially different mode of operation insofar as they are not required to apply make-up liquid to the surface of the skin, possibly over a considerable area thereof.